Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Thank you everyone for the well wishes on my last post. I am finally feeling better, I'm back in the kitchen & ready to share my culinary adventures! Lately, I have been devoting time to recipe testing for two of my favorite people, superstar cookbook authors, Isa & Terry! I've mentioned the upcoming Vegan Latina book from Terry before & trust me, it's going to be phenomenal (check out The Sisters Vegan post), but did you know Isa has another book coming up as well? Hot off the heels of Vegan Brunch, will be a whole foods, weight conscious cookbook, low on fat, but high on flavor! I've made quite a few dishes already like the Caribbean Black Eyed Pea Curry with Plantains, a Potato & Corn Salad that gets a kick from Chipotle Peppers & other dishes all varied & delicious! In the photos are a Quinoa Salad with beans, veggies, & toasted Cumin Seeds, plus some chewy & delicious Scarlet Barley topped in Mushroom & Cannelini Paprikas! Trust me, you would never know this was a low-fat book, everything has been fabulous!

In a previous post, I mentioned I had made vegan Ambrosia Salad for a potluck at my house. Well, based on the comments & emails it seems people want to make this trashy treat for themselves! There's not much of a recipe, much like the original, it's all about opening processed food containers & pouring them in to a bowl, but hey, you asked for it, so you get it! I used organic canned fruit, but if you want to stick to the classic version, go for syrupy fruit cocktail & maraschino cherries!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine Soyatoo Whipped Cream & vanilla. Whip for a few minutes, until it reaches a fluffy consistency.Combine the fruit in a large bowl, fold in the whipped cream mixture, then the marshmallows & coconut (if using).Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. (Yes, it's that easy.)

In travel news, Ryan, Strummer, & I are off to Southern California this weekend to see relatives. Hopefully, I'll have some tasty food to report on when I get back! Also, in late September, I'm headed to Austin, TX & would love to meet up with my Texas vegan pals, so get in touch!

In uber exciting news.. we're going (back) to JAPAN! Ryan & I recently celebrated 11 years as a couple & to reward ourselves, we booked a flight to Tokyo in October. Calling all vegans in Japan! We want to meet you! Of course, suggestions on where to go are very much welcome. We went to Japan on our honeymoon 4 years ago in October, as you can see in the photo from a Purikura booth, but we'd like to see new things this time. We will likely be in Tokyo, Kyoto, & Nara, but are open to suggestions! Bring 'em on!

in japan have you heard of dan kahl, he is a white dude that does comedy? i tried quinoa(grr i CANT EVER get the spelling right on that!!) and i think i cooked it a little to long. your post will help me do it right next time! yay for food that grows a tale when you cook it!!

Wow, so much interesting news! I love the sneak preview of Isa's recipes. And all your trips sound exciting. Austin is one of my very favorite cities. Make sure to hit Bouldin Creek Cafe for the tofu scramble - it convinced me that I could be vegan!

Okay, so I'm almost always jealous of you for various reasons, but now you're planning a trip to Japan? Seriously, Tokyo is just about my favorite place in the whole world. I would move there if it wasn't such a ridiculous proposition. Sigh! Make sure you take lots and lots of pictures at least so I can live vicariously through you!

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Hi! I saw you on Julie's Everyday Dish podcast and I already love your blog! And so nice to hear you're coming to Japan!! Since there aren't a lot of vegans in Tokyo yet, it's not too much of a vegan friendly city I would say, but I recommend a great restaurant called Biocafe in Shibuya, Tokyo. Their dishes are almost all vegan with a few exceptions. So hearty and delicious!! They also have a great variety of amazing moist bagels to go. Trust me, I love the restaurant and I'm Japanese!

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